Growing Up In Old Treasury

The Maynards

Family life downstairs & Governor’s meetings upstairs:

In the 1920s, the Maynard family lived downstairs in the Old Treasury building — Mother, Father and eight children squeezed into five rooms. Mr Maynard was the Superintendent, in charge of security, maintenance and the cleaning staff. Mrs Maynard, as well as looking after her family, would prepare morning and afternoon tea for the Governor's regular meetings.

Officialdom upstairs and family life downstairs meant that two different worlds lived side by side in the centre of Melbourne.

“My father worked in the garden outside the high bluestone wall which surrounded a large backyard to the building in which we lived. Further beyond the garden was a fence enclosing a paddock where my father kept a horse and a cow and fowls. Right in the middle of Melbourne we had our own fresh vegetables, milk and eggs.”

Today you can tour the basement and see the rooms the Maynard family lived in. Visit the kitchen and imagine making tea for the Governor; tour the living room and you can almost see the children playing out back.

A handmade quilt is on display in these rooms which was kindly donated by one of our volunteers and her stitching group. You can read about it here.